Oil-well derrick



. 1,677,738 B. F. SUMPTER ET AL I OIL WELL DERRICK July 11, 1928.

Filed April 1, 1927 2 ShOOtS-ShQOt July 17, 1928.

5. F. suMPrER ET AL 011. WE'LL DERRICK Filed A rill, 192'! 2 sums-suit 3 Patented July 17, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJIMAN F; SUMPTER, OF WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS; DOUGLAS E. WINFREE, OF CHICKASHA, OKLAHOMA; AND ROLAND B. ROBIRDS, OFWICH-ITA FALLS, TEXAS.

oft-WELL DERRICK. 2

Application filed April 1, 1927. Serial No. 180,250.

This invention relates to oil well derricks, and particularly to connections for sectional corn-er posts and anchorages for the girths of the derricks, and the invention further contemplates the provisionof novel ner bracket for a square post which combrace rod adjusting and connecting means to be associated with the corner post joints.

It is a further object of this invention to provide anchors forthe corner posts that are comparatively inexpensive, as well as strong and durable.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 illustrates a view in elevation of a fragment of a derrick;

Figure 2 illustrates an enlarged sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 illustrates a detail view of the brace connecting and adjusting means;

Figure 4 illustrates a view in elevation of a corner post anchor;

Figure 5 illustrates a sectional view of a corner post with a derrick reinforcing instrumentality Figure 6 illustrates a view in elevation of a modified corner post anchor;

Figure 7 illustrates a perspective view of the inner side of the corner post joint;

Figure 8 illustrates a perspective view thereof from another angle;

Figure 9 illustrates a top plan View of'a joint for round corner posts;

Figure 10 illustrates a view in elevation thereof; and

Figure 11 illustrates a plan view of the corner post anchor shown in Fig. 6.

In these drawings, 10 denotes a square corner post to be employed in a derrick structure, the same being anchored on a plate 11 having an upwardly extending lug 12 through which a fastening 13, such as a bolt extends for securing the corner post to the anchor. The plate also has flanges such as 14 and a fastening 15 extends through them and through the corner post for further anchoring the corner post to the plate.

Derricksare'usua'lly constructed by ems ployi'ng a pluralityf'of sections for each corner post and the sections are connected together in different ways. i

There is illustrated herein a joint or corprises atubular sect1on16 which is square in cross section or'of a shapev to receive and conform to the contour of the .post sections which are to belod ed in the:bracket. Flanges 17 and 18 are fbrmed as parts ofthe bracket, and the flanges are provided with apertures 19 to receive hooks 20 of the brace rods 21 by which the said brace rods are connected to the corner brackets.

Girth shoes 22 b which the ends of the girths 23 may be lbdged are also included inthe structure of the bracket and a diagonally disposed web 24 is also rigid with the bracket structure, and, in the present em-f bodiment of the invention, these webs constitute anchorages for reinforcing posts 25. The webs are slotted, as shown at 26, and these slotsare intended to receive bolts 27 whose heads 28 engage the inner surfaces of the webs and whose outer ends project through a clamping plate 29 which bears against the side of the reinforcingpost or leg opposite that engaged by the web. In the use of oil well derricks, it is usually necessary to build the derrick rigid and strong for use during the drilling operation, Whereas for use in, pumping, bailing and other operations, the derrick structure need not possess the same degree of strength. By reason of the fact that applicants have provided means for producing a strong and reinforced structure, the derrick may be built to withstand strain incident to the drilling operations, permitting the removal of the reinforcing parts of the derrick in order that they may be again used on other derricks during the drilling operations. This, results in a material reduction in cost, since the reinforcing structure canbe expeditiously applied to and removed from derricks, as

need develops.

The form ofthe invention shown in Figs. 9 and 10 is substantially the same as that disclosed in Figs. 7 and '8, except that the brackets ofFigs. 9 and 10 are intended to be used in association with round posts and roundv girth's. As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the post receiving apertures 30 are round and the girth shoes 31 and 32 are also round,

but obviously could be shaped similar to the shoes 22 for use in association with girths that are angular in cross section, and so the inventorsdo notwish to be limited with respect to these exact structural features. The web 33 has recesses 3a and 35 to be used for assembling a supplemental or reinforcing frame With the main derrick, The stay or bracing rods 21 are here shown as connected to the Wings 36 of nuts 37, the nuts for the opposed stay rods being located in spaced relation to each other to engage the double bolts 38 Which are threaded in the nuts and the enlarged portion 39 between the bolts may have aperturessuch as 40 to receive an in'iplement for rotating the bolts when the tension of the rods is to be regulated or adjusted We claim:

In an oil yyell derrick, a plurality of brackets adapted to receive the ends of derrick posts, girth shoes carried by the said brackets, a Web connecting the shoes, said web having seats in its edge, bolts lying in the recesses with their heads engaging the inner surface of the Web, a reinforcing element engaging'tl'ie outer surface of the Web between the bolts, and a clamping plate on the said bolts engaging the surface of the reinforcing element. remote from the Web.

2. In an oilwell derrick, a plurality of brackets adapted to receive sectional corner posts, girth shoes carried by each bracket, a "web connecting the shoes of'each bracket, and) areinforcement clamp anchored to said We BENJIMAN F. SUMPTER. DOUGLAS E. WINFREE. ROLAND B. ROBIRDS; 

